ORANGE’S James Sweetapple was expected to cross the finish line of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race at about 11pm last night which would have been a personal best for the team.
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The team had aimed for a finish of about 9pm but after “very strong conditions” it was more likely it would cruise into Hobart a little later.
Mr Sweetapple, a seven year race veteran, was positive yesterday morning as the crew passed the Tasmanian coast.
“It’s going really well in very strong conditions,” he said.
“The boat is working to the max.”
Yesterday morning the yacht, Quetzalcoatl was ranked 54th which was a significant improvement from 71st at lunchtime on Saturday.
Despite having a drama-free start, the crew found conditions to be tougher once they left the shelter of Sydney Harbour, with “lumpy” water and stiff southerly winds.
The crew also found a few leaks in the boat’s hull, but they were repaired.
Mr Sweetapple said his crew had raced 15 times this season in the lead-up to the Sydney to Hobart, and seven of them had been racing together for seven years.
Meanwhile, Wild Oats XI won its eighth Sydney to Hobart on Sunday and fended off a late charge by the newcomer American raider Comanche.
Wild Oats XI crossed the finish line at 3.03pm with an unofficial winning time of two days, two hours and three minutes - outside her 2012 race record of one day, 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds.
